EE won't accept any responsibility for this whatsoever - bear that in mind; so you'll get nowhere attempting to get reimbursed from them.
I'm assuming your daughter responded to a text that was sent out, possibly to win a Playstation.
What you need to do is immediately phone Boku 0808 1202341. Tell them that your daughter (who is a minor (I'm assuming she's under 18)) was charged and that it was through an unsolicited text they sent out and had no authority from you. They'll say that they only charge if people reply Yes to the text but it's rubbish as they'll charge no matter what you reply - just the reply triggers it. They should then tell you that you need to provide a copy of your daughter's date of birth to prove she's a minor, so just take a photo of her birth cert or something official like that. They should also raise a ticket and send you an email with a link to the Boku support site where you'll set up an account (seems you have to do this for a ticket reference). I've included a copy of the email you should receive from them at which point you send a reply with your daughter's age confirmation. They will also tell you that it will have to be escalated for a manager to check if you're entitled to a refund. You should hear back in a couple of days or less with information about a refund.
Assuming that all goes OK, they will tell you that they will refund into your mobile account. Now you'll need to decide whether you want to pay EE that extra 250 and then wait and hope that when the refund is made EE will credit you back (don't hold your breath) or as I was advised by EE staff: cancel the direct debit, just pay my normal charge and then let the refund credit back into my account. Then reset up the direct debit again. It's a real pain in the ass, but I couldn't afford to wait for the possibility of being refunded by EE.
The other thing with Boku is that they will not immediately refund your money. It's some process and will take several weeks. It was 2 December when I called them and it's only just been refunded (Boku state that it could be up to 2 months); so you'll get phone calls from EE chasing you. Tell them the situation and that it is being refunded and ask them to extend the time before they chase it.
Other things:
1. Tell Boku to block the mobile number
2. Tell EE to block all mobile chargeback services to all numbers on your account. It's this bit that angers me about EE as they provide access to block roaming, premium numbers, data and such through the app or website but no mention anywhere of this method of charging. I didn't even know it was a thing, I'd never heard of it. And, even having a call limit amount makes no difference - you'll still get hit.
3. Instil it in your daughter NEVER to reply to anything. It is reprehensible what these companies do to directly target kids and how mobile providers allow it through their network.
4. The guy at Boku whom I spoke to was called Lars.
I hope that's been some help, heer's a copy of that email they sent:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello,
Thank you for contacting us.
Our records indicate that the provided mobile number was used to purchase Wallet Funds from Sony Network Entertainment Europe Ltd.
We are a mobile billing service that allows customers to make purchases using their mobile phone. To make a purchase using our service, a customer has to select to buy an item from a game or website, and then choose our payment service as the method of payment. After entering their mobile number on our payment panel, a free text message confirming both the product and cost is sent to the handset. The customer must authorise the transaction by either replying with a keyword, or entering a PIN number before they can be billed.
We have blocked the provided mobile number from use with our service. We also recommend that you block premium and direct carrier billing services through your carrier to prevent charges from being processed by another pay by mobile service.
To proceed with a refund request, we require you to provide the following:
-
A copy of an official document or card confirming your child is a minor (Examples of acceptable forms are ID cards, school IDs, health/insurance cards, passports and birth certificates).
You can request a refund for transactions made in the 45 days prior to submitting your dispute. You must return all required documentation within 2 weeks of placing your dispute.
Please note that refunds are subject to approval and are not guaranteed; in addition, please keep in mind that if a refund is approved, the console and/or SEN account linked to the payments may be disabled by Sony.
Best regards,
Boku Customer Support
